Kansas Counties

Kansas Counties Map

Kansas Counties Map

Kansas has 105 counties, the fifth-highest total of any state. Many of the counties in the eastern part of the state are named after prominent Americans from the late 18th and early to mid 19th centuries, while those in the central and western parts of the state are named after figures in the Civil War. Several counties are named for Native American tribes. The population of Kansas counties varies widely, with the smallest population in Greeley County with about 1,300 residents and Johnson County, part of the Kansas City Metropolitan area, boasting over 600,000.

County County Seat  Established Origin
Allen Iola 1855 One of the original 36 counties
Anderson Garnett 1855 One of the original 36 counties
Atchison Atchison 1855 One of the original 36 counties
Barber Medicine Lodge 1867 From unorganized area
Barton Great Bend 1867 From unorganized area
Bourbon Fort Scott 1855 One of the original 36 counties
Brown Hiawatha 1855 One of the original 36 counties (Formerly Browne County)
Butler El Dorado 1855 One of the original 36 counties
Chase Cottonwood Falls 1859 Formed from Butler and Morris counties
Chautauqua Sedan 1875 Formed from Howard County
Cherokee Columbus 1855 One of the original 36 counties (Formerly McGee County)
Cheyenne St. Francis 1873 From unorganized area
Clark Ashland 1885 Formed from Ford County.
Clay Clay Center 1857 From unorganized area
Cloud Concordia 1866 Formed from Washington County (Formerly Shirley County)
Coffey Burlington 1855 One of the original 36 counties
Comanche Coldwater 1867 From unorganized area
Cowley Winfield 1867 Formed from Butler County
Crawford Girard 1867 Formed from Bourbon and Cherokee Counties.
Decatur Oberlin 1873 From unorganized area
Dickinson Abilene 1857 From unorganized area
Doniphan Troy 1855 One of the original 36 counties
Douglas Lawrence 1855 One of the original 36 counties
Edwards Kinsley 1874 Formed from Kiowa County
Elk Howard 1875 Formed from Howard County
Ellis Hays 1867 From unorganized area
Ellsworth Ellsworth 1867 From unorganized area
Finney Garden City 1883 Formed from Arapahoe, Grant, Kearny, and Sequoyah Counties
Ford Dodge City 1867 From unorganized area
Franklin Ottawa 1855 One of the original 36 counties
Geary Junction City 1855 One of the original 36 counties (Formerly Davis County)
Gove Gove 1868 From unorganized area
Graham Hill City 1867 From unorganized area
Grant Ulysses 1887 Formed from Finney and Hamilton Counties in 1887.
Gray Cimarron 1887 Formed from Finney and Ford Counties
Greeley Tribune 1873 From unorganized area
Greenwood Eureka 1855 One of the original 36 counties
Hamilton Syracuse 1873 From unorganized area
Harper Anthony 1867 From unorganized area
Harvey Newton 1872 Formed from McPherson, Sedgwick, and Marion Counties.
Haskell Sublette 1887 Formed from Finney and Ford Counties
Hodgeman Jetmore 1867 From unorganized area (Formerly Hageman County)
Jackson Holton 1855 One of the original 36 counties (Formerly Calhoun County)
Jefferson Oskaloosa 1855 One of the original 36 counties
Jewell Mankato 1867 From unorganized area
Johnson Olathe 1855 One of the original 36 counties
Kearny Lakin 1887 Formed from Finney and Hamilton Counties
Kingman Kingman 1872 Formed from Harper and Reno Counties.
Kiowa Greensburg 1886 Formed from Comanche and Edwards Counties
Labette Oswego 1867 Formed from Neosho County
Lane Dighton 1886 From unorganized area
Leavenworth Leavenworth 1855 One of the original 36 counties
Lincoln Lincoln 1867 From unorganized area
Linn Mound City 1855 One of the original 36 counties
Logan Oakley 1888 Formed from Wallace County (Formerly named St. John County)
Lyon Emporia 1855 One of the original 36 counties (Formerly Breckenridge County)
Marion Marion 1860 From unorganized area
Marshall Marysville 1855 One of the original 36 counties
McPherson McPherson 1867 From unorganized area
Meade Meade 1885 Formed from Finney, Ford, and Seward Counties
Miami Paola 1855 One of the original 36 counties (Formerly Lykins)
Mitchell Beloit 1867 From unorganized area
Montgomery Independence 1867 Formed from Wilson County
Morris Council Grove 1855 One of the original 36 counties (Formerly Wise County)
Morton Elkhart 1886 Formed from Seward County
Nemaha Seneca 1855 One of the original 36 counties (Formerly Dorn County)
Neosho Erie 1855 One of the original 36 counties
Ness Ness City 1867 From unorganized area
Norton Norton 1867 From unorganized area (Formerly Billings County)
Osage Lyndon 1855 One of the original 36 counties (Formerly Weller County)
Osborne Osborne 1867 From unorganized area
Ottawa Minneapolis 1860 From unorganized area
Pawnee Larned 1867 From unorganized area
Phillips Phillipsburg 1867 From unorganized area
Pottawatomie Westmoreland 1857 Formed from Calhoun and Riley Counties.
Pratt Pratt 1867 From unorganized area
Rawlins Atwood 1873 From unorganized area
Reno Hutchinson 1867 From unorganized area
Republic Belleville 1868 Formed from Washington County
Rice Lyons 1867 From unorganized area
Riley Manhattan 1855 One of the original 36 counties
Rooks Stockton 1867 From unorganized area
Rush La Crosse 1867 From unorganized area
Russell Russell 1867 From unorganized area
Saline Salina 1860 From unorganized area
Scott Scott City 1873 From unorganized area
Sedgwick Wichita 1867 Formed from Butler County
Seward Liberal 1873 From unorganized area
Shawnee Topeka 1855 One of the original 36 counties
Sheridan Hoxie 1873 From unorganized area
Sherman Goodland 1873 From unorganized area
Smith Smith Center 1867 From unorganized area
Stafford St. John 1867 From unorganized area
Stanton Johnson 1887 Formed from Hamilton County
Stevens Hugoton 1886 Formed from Seward County
Sumner Wellington 1867 Formed from Butler and Marion Counties
Thomas Colby 1873 From unorganized area
Trego WaKeeney 1867 From unorganized area
Wabaunsee Alma 1855 One of the original 36 counties (Formerly Richardson County)
Wallace Sharon Springs 1868 From unorganized area
Washington Washington 1857 From unorganized area
Wichita Leoti 1873 From unorganized area
Wilson Fredonia 1855 One of the original 36 counties
Woodson Yates Center 1855 One of the original 36 counties
Wyandotte Kansas City 1859 Formed from Leavenworth and Johnson Counties.

Kansas Facts - Counties

©Kathy Alexander/Legends of Kansas, updated February 2023.

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